Need help!! Moving to Williamsburg (Newport News, Hampton: for sale, real estate market, amusement park) - Virginia (VA) - City-Data Forum

bailey · 12-03-2006, 02:45 PM

Will have to travel form williamsburg to Newport News/Hampton daily for work.

1. How bad will the commute be, especially on 64?

2. How are the schools?

3. Are you over crowded with tourist?

4. Any reccomendations for communitites or any feedback about Governor's Landing?

5. We are young and have young children. Is the area filled with retires.

Thanks Bailey

htlong · 12-03-2006, 04:05 PM

The Commute From Wmburg To Newport News Isn't Very Bad Its Only Around 15 Miles, 64 Is Always Crowded And If It Rains There Will Be Wrecks Galore.
You Might Check Out Yorktown ,west Point, Or Cross The Bridge To The Middle Peninsula To Gloucester , It Would Be Less Expensive .but Im Sure You Would Like Wmburg Lots Of Shopping And Very Clean.
The Schools I Don't Know About.

Azile · 12-03-2006, 11:03 PM

We are also considering moving to Williamsburg. This is what we've found out so far.

-During the warmer months when Busche Gardens is open, I-64 tends to get really crowded, so it's recommended to take the side roads if you must travel during rush hour/rain.

-The schools are good. They are building a few more because they are over crowded but the reputation is good in the area.

-I don't know much about the tourists, but because of Colonial Williamsburg and Busche Gardens being popular tourist sites, it gets crowded. I'd imagine even more so while Busche Gardens is open from Spring to Fall. Fall through Winter The amusement park is closed which makes things easier to get around. However, Colonial Williamsburg is open year 'round, but it's not as crowded during the fall/winter anyhow.

-We've looked at Ford's Colony and Kingsmill in the area and they both are very nice! Kingsmill is right next to Busche Gardens and closer to Newport News/Hampton. Being that it's right next to Busche Gardens, you'll probably get out of the Garden's traffic easier going to Newport News from there. But don't quote me on that... The one downside I've heard about Kingsmill is that during the hot months, you can smell the cooked Barley from the Budweiser Brewery next door. If you like that smell, then it shouldn't be a problem, but the homes there are really nice. You have full access to the James River, a few really nice restaurants, tennis, pools, a hotel, and walking trails. It's also a gated community. The golf is a public course so you don't have to pay tons to use it. Ford's Colony is right next to the College of William and Mary. It's a large and nearly finished gated community. It has the top rated golf course for a community. it has walking trails, pools, tennis, a restaurant with another being built. There's also a hotel there. It does not have access to the river but it is near by a gym and activity center for kids. Ford's Colony has listed a bunch of awards they've received on their website (www.fordscolony.com) (broken link). There will be a hospital about 10 minutes away and a new school also being built also within minutes from the community. It's a slight more of a distance from Newport News/Hampton but it is still in Williamsburg. I looked at a new subdivision being built in Williamsburg, Stone House. It looks good. it'll also have direct access to the York River and is planned to be very big. However, it will be placed more north west of the main area Williamsburg so that may not be your best option if you need to commute to Newport News/Hampton.

-We are young too and hope to raise a family in the new area we are considering moving to. Williamsburg is known for retirees, but while we were there, there were a lot of families and young children there. I wouldn't worry about the youth of the area. It's on it's way to being built up and new families will be moving in as more communities are built. But as it is now, I believe it is great for both young and new families while also being a great place for families who are retiring.

I'm still trying to find out more about the area as well. I hope this has helped.

bailey · 12-04-2006, 06:39 AM

Azile,
Thank you so much for your informative reply. We have just began to research the williamsburg are after deciding we did not want to live in Hampton. Have you decided on a development yet? Another thing we heard is that shopping is limited in the area. Have you found that to be true?

Thanks Bailey

Mr Williamsburg · 12-04-2006, 11:00 AM

Shopping is improving monthly. We still have to travel to Newport News for Trader Joes's or Costco/ Sam's Club but most other stores are here or being built. We also have Prime Outlets with a great assortment of factory outlet stores. It get's crowded but if you live here you can shop at off hours and avoid the crowds. To correct an earlier note. The commute from most of Williamsburg to Newport News is 30-40 minutes depending on where you are going. If you tell me what price range you are considering I can suggest a few neighborhoods. The amount of families with children is definitely increasing.

Mr Williamsburg · 12-04-2006, 11:22 AM

4. Any reccomendations for communitites or any feedback about Governor's Landing? Governor's Land is a great community. Non gated has golf course, marina, walking/biking trails, tennis. Price range $540k to $2,000,000.

kcrossley · 12-04-2006, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Williamsburg

Non gated has golf course, marina, walking/biking trails, tennis. Price range $540k to $2,000,000.

Wow! That's a huge spread. What do you know about Stonehouse?

bailey · 12-04-2006, 01:50 PM

Appreciate all the feedback. Are there any areas of williamsburg you would avoid to live in or around? Also can anyone offer an opinion about the two communities; Ford's colony and Governor's Land.

Bailey:

kcrossley · 12-04-2006, 03:44 PM

How's the real estate market in Williamsburg these days? What about new and existing home prices? What's the average time on market for most homes in Williamsburg?

jmadz · 12-04-2006, 04:27 PM

As some of you know, I am also moving to Williamsburg. We have our eyes on the New Towne Development, but it doesn't hurt to keep something else in the back pocket. The Kingsmill and the Ford's Colony neighborhood sound interesting. What is the price range for these areas?

We also went there a couple weeks ago and absolutely fell in love w/ the area right around the College of William & Mary and the Merchants Square area. Its older and we really like the tree lined streets. What is this area called? Is this considered downtown Williamsburg? We didn't see any "for sale" signs here. Would anyone hae an idea what houses go for around there?

Thank you!